The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-09-03
rEID Ixroo I1v rIroronE
ChicagO Tribune.

chicago Tribune.
There was an old belief that unless a maiden
was kissed under the mistletoe at Christmas she
would not be married during the ensuing year.
When Fox was contesting the hard-won seat
at Westminster the beautiful Duchess of Devon
shire offered to kiss all who voted for the great
statesman.
In the ceremonial of betrothal kiss has played
an important part in several nations. A nuptial
kiss in church, at the conclusion of the marriage
| SERVICE is solemnly enjoined by the York Missal
and Sarum Manual.
The beautiful Lady Gordon, when the ranks
of the Scottish regiments has been sadly thinned
by cruel Badajos and Salamanca, turned recruit
ing Sergeant, and, to tempt the gallant lads,
placed the recruiting shilling in her lips, whence
each who would might take it with his own.
In Finland according to Bayard Taylor, the
women resent as an Insult salute upon the lips.
A Finish matron, hearing of our English custom
of kissing, declared that did her husband attempt
such a liberty she would treat him with such
box on the ears that he should not readily for
get.
In Wesley's journal, dated June 16, 1888, is
given the following description of duel between
two officers at Limerick: Mr.. B. proposed firing
at twelve yards, but Mr.. said, six is enough.
So they kissed one another poor farce y and be-
fore they were five PAGES asunder both fired at
| the instant
The Code Justinan says that if man betroth-
ed woman by kiss and either party died be-
fore marriage the heirs were entitled to half the
donations and the survivor to the other half !;
but if the contract was made without the solemn
kiss the whole of the espousal gifts must be re-
stored to the donors and their heirs-at-law.
The Mohammedans, on their pious pilgrimage
to Mecca, kiss the sacred black stone and the
four corners TO the kaaba. The Romsh priest
kisses the aspergilum, and Palm Sunday the
palm. kissing the Popes toe was fashion in
troduced by one of the Leos, who, it is said, had
mutilated his right hand, and was too vain to ex-
pose the stump.
In Iceland kissing had deferred penalties of
great severity. For kissing another mans wife,
with or without her consent the punishment of
exclusion or its pecuniarY equivalent was award
ed. man rendered himself liable for kissing
an unmarried woman under legal guardianship
without her consent, and, if the lady consented,
the law required that every kiss should be wiped
out by fine of three marks equivalent to 40
ellis of wadmal-a quantity sufficient to furnish
whole ships crew with pilot jackets.
In Russia the Eastern salutation is kiss. Each
member of the family salutes the other; chance
the officers kiss their soldiers the Gar kisses
his family, retinue, court, and attendants, and
even his officers on parade, the sentinels at the
palace gates, and select party of private SOL
diers-probably deliberately prepared for this
royal salute In other parts the poorest serf,
meeting high-born dame in the street, has but
to say Christ is Risen, and he will receive kiss
and the reply, He has risen, truly
Home in his quaint old 'Table-Book,' gives an
account of a curious old kissing festival held in
Ireland Easter Monday several hundred young
persons of the town and neighborhood of Pots
ferry county Down, resort, dressed in their best,
to pleasant walk near the town, called The
Waller The avowed object of each person is to
see the fun, which consists in the men kissing
the females without reserve, whether married
or single. This mode of salutation is quite
matter of course; it is never taken amiss, nor
with much show of coyness The female
must be ordinary indeed who returns home with
out having received at least dozen hearty
buSSeS'